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August 23 update: Corral has officially been placed on season-ending injured reserve, which was expected to be the case after he suffered a Lisfranc injury in Week 2 of the 2022 preseason.
Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Matt Corral has suffered a Lisfranc injury, per Joe Person. The injury was likely sustained during the Panther's Week 2 preseason game against the New England Patriots on Friday night. The injury is likely season-ending, cutting Corral’s rookie season short.
Corral was drafted by Carolina in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He wasn’t automatically thought of as the starter by any means, but he performed well enough in college that it was thought he could challenge Sam Darnold for the starting gig this season. The Cleveland Browns had their fallout with Baker Mayfield, though, and the Panthers pounced at the chance to trade for Mayfield. This move allowed Corral to focus solely on his development this rookie year without the pressure of starting. That is, until Friday night.
Corral entered Friday night’s game in the second quarter and led the Panthers on a drive that ended in a punt as he just couldn’t get much going. He alternated quarters with PJ Walker and wasn’t back on the field until the fourth quarter. Corral was able to get two more drives in, but both of them ended in punts. He finished 9-15 passing for 58 yards with three rushes for six additional yards.
Carolina is 1-1 in the preseason, with a home matchup against the Buffalo Bills set to be their final preseason game next Friday, August 26. Head coach Matt Rhule will likely use some combination of Mayfield, Darnold and Walker to get through this final game as healthy as possible.